• What direction are you taking your art in?

• As my technique improves and I am able to take on more and more challenging projects I am currently looking at incorporating more cultural and historical subjects into my work. This will begin in the New Year with a trip out to Jordan to work with the Royal Institute of Arabian Horsemanship and The Jordan Living History Association. I would like to create large canvases with large and dramatic historical / cultural subjects.

• How Many Projects do you take on in a year?

• It depends on the size of the projects. Normally I will produce between 5 – 7 works a year, a mixture of oil and pencil, personal projects and commissions.

• What is your idea of an ideal project?

• The ideal project would be a commission, it is always nice to feel you are working to bring someone else’s vision into a reality, that would require interesting field work and research and would allow me to experience new challenges and develop my skills further. The ideal project would have an element of potential impossibility to overcome.



• How do you pick your next subject matter?

• Sometimes the subject matter or the idea is chosen for me if it is a commission. Then it is a process of working with theclients to understand and often expand their expectations, so they begin to readdress what is possible. If I am picking the subject matter, this is more difficult. You want the painting or the drawing to be challenging, highly saleable, useful from a PR perspective and to target a key group of possible clients.

• Many people turn to the creative art process to relax – do you?

• No definitely not. To me the creative process is like a giant mathematical calculation. I find it utterly exhausting; once I have finally signed my name off I seem to be able to sleep through any alarm the following morning.

• What is the hardest part of creating a painting?

• First understanding how to come up with a method to deconstruct and reconstruct the proposed reality, can be very testing and not fully apparent at the beginning of the process. One of the hardest things to do is have the mental endurance to get through the main building work that the image requires, and to continue to make the many necessary adjustments required to get it ‘right’. When I am are trying to complete parts of the illusions(s) I can only concentrate sometimes in only 10 minute short bursts because of the level of focus required.

• Can you recall the most memorable moments when trying to get that one image or images that will turn into an artwork?

• One of the most memorable moments was studying Wild Bald Eagles north of Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada. Spending hours on snow covered riverbanks watching them fight over salmon carcasses. The mature Bald Eagles (the one with the white head and tail feathers) would wait in a tree whist the younger eagles would hunt of scraps. Once the young eagles had found something the mature eagles would attack, swooping down from the trees, talons out stretched. The photos I obtained were astonishing, showing how acrobatic and vicious these huge birds could be.

• o Another occasion was working with captive Barbary Lions and their keepers. I had to work with captive Barbary’s because they no longer exist in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The lions I worked with at part of the Barbary Breeding project run with the John Aspinall Foundation and Oxford University. The lions had not been fed for a few days so they would really display their behaviour for my camera. These are the most ferrous cats I have ever encountered at such close range. It was amazing to be able to great a real appreciation of their behaviour and physicality both individually and with each other.

• What inspires you?

• Many things motivate and inspire me. One of the key things is the desire to see how advanced my technique can get and where I can take get to in the art world, I look forward to encountering greater and greater challenges. My family and friends around me have also been a huge encouraging influence, and help to drive me forward.

• Are there any particular artists that have inspired your work?

• Yes there are a number of artists that have inspired how I paint and show me what is possible to achieve. John William Waterhouse has been very influential, I studied his technique and looked through his sketch books in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, it is him I attribute my understanding of how to achieve luminosity within thick oil paint. Constable has been an influence from a very young age. I had looked and looked at his works in books my parents had, but then I saw the images I was so familiar with at the National Gallery and was amazed at the size of his canvas, the thickness of the paint he used and how you can almost feel the weather in his works. Cuneo has also inspired my work with his incredibly rich accurate and colour industrial paintings. Steven Dews is another artist that I greatly admire particularly for his ability to paint the sea so realistically. However it is not just fine artists that have inspired my works, musical artists have a strong influence and really help me get through the long studio hours.

• What keeps you going?

• I have a lot of goals, some small and some rather large. To reach these goals I try and have a really healthy lifestyle and I love my sport. It is important that I can focus when I need to focus and have the energy to do so because I am always trying to get from A to B as quickly as possible. Of course one of the major motivators is the fear of not getting anywhere!

 

• What part of your work do you find the most enjoyable?

• Putting the finishing touches to a painting and understanding how to create something I didn’t think I would be able to do, is the most rewarding and enjoyable. Sometimes finishing a painting is like coming to the end of an ordeal, so signing it can be pretty enjoyable too.

• What has been the most difficult personal challenges you have had to overcome?

• The most challenging has been self-belief. Believing in yourself is always the best start point for being successful, but this has been difficult at times. I am also a workaholic and it has taken me a long time to have a more healthy and balanced approach to life, but now I have no problem about taking the time to enjoy myself outside of work.

• What would say are the key ingredients to your success?

• Ambition, drive, focus and the ability to get things done and to achieve the goals I set for myself have been key ingredients. Also understanding what it means to be successful to myself and to take things a stage at a time and be realistic have been very important. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I have had to acknowledge how much pressure is appropriate.

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• Why do you not sell your art through the major galleries?

• I have sold through the major galleries in London but I became aware of why doing business with them would become detrimental to the quality, direction and potential of my work. I do not deal with galleries, simply because they ask too much commission (up to 70%) for the opportunities they provide. I was approached by a number of galleries internationally and not one of them offered me a clear business proposal that spelled out the efforts they would go to sell my works, although they had of course a clearly determined commission figure. Commission, it seems is often a figure not based on a business value exchange that relates to the services they provide to artists, for them commission figures are motivated by measuring their risk, spreading opportunities as widely as possible, keeping overheads low and relying on chance buyers. This translates into putting their profit lines first, generating the next quick selling fad, providing artists with as little payment as possible and selling to clients for as much as possible. Faced with this equation artists:

• - Suffer along with the circus.

• - Become savvy marketeers who cash in on the fads and hype like Damien Hurst.

• - Business minded artists embark on new creative and sometimes novel ways of doing business, that safe guard their personal commitment to their artistic endeavours and the quality that is received by their clients.

• What do you think is happening to the art market in this changing financial climate?

• I think it is changing. Patrons have less to spend on the luxury market, and are not so easily caught up in clever sales spin from galleries or agents. Clients are more interested in buying art not only for its commodity or investment value but also for its ‘meaning’ and quality. Clients are beginning to drive the art market rather than be driven by it and dealers will have to reassess how to conduct their business more effectively.

• What can clients expect when visiting the exhibition?

• Clients can expect to see at least twelve original works, a mixture of oil paintings and pencil drawings, five Artist Proof archival quality limited edition prints and information on new commissionable projects developed from global research and fieldwork. It will also be an opportunity to for clients to discuss and share their ideas directly with me.

• How is your art valued for the market place?

• The art has been valued by taking into account the following factors: previous sales figures and exhibition experiences, London based valuations from galleries, current market value of my contemporaries, the artistic technical demands of individual artworks, the genre of each piece and the growth and development of my career.

• What is the purpose of the exhibition?

• The purpose of the exhibition is to give ‘dynamic realism’ a platform in the heart of London’s art buying and gallery sector. The exhibition aims to highlight my technique to a larger audience, and to showcase what is possible within the genre of realism. The exhibition also aims to secure buy-in from clients interested in acquiring museum quality pieces of art and those who wish to commission works for their private, corporate or public collections.

• Where is the realist art market going and how are you reacting to the changing climate?

• The realist art market has the same demands placed upon it as other genres of art – that is selling to an audience with less expendable wealth. However, it has one clearly determining factor that assists or hinders saleability that is more discernable – realist art is either well done or poorly executed. With art buyers being more and more choosey with where they put their money – they are valuing the best executed works of craftsmanship that have a ‘timeless’ quality to them. My reaction to this is to continue producing bespoke pieces of art that exceed my clients’ expectations and continue to grow and develop my technique. The changing climate is an opportunity for growth.



• Do you see the changing financial climate as a negative time for the art industry?

• It is negative only in the sense that the industry cannot comfortably do business in the way it was being done. Ultimately I think this is a very positive time for the industry because the businesses (dealers, art advisors, galleries and artists) will have to come up with new and creative ways to do business with good service to clients being their main focus.

• What are your major challenges in the Art Industry?

• I think I face the same challenges that any other artist faces: to find and build the right relationships that enable me to continue to produce artworks. With me the quality of the art I produce is really important and I consider this to be also important for my clients. Initially the biggest challenge was to find a gallery with a business plan. To sell fine art, you need to go beyond just supplying a window, the door and the wall space. You need a marketing strategy, careful and optimal product placement, to understand your client groups and how to reach them and the right kind of press exposure. I have found with many galleries that they are focused not on the quality of the art but the quantity, volume and how high they can push the commission percentage. But demands of quantity and volume do not promote the production of exceptional pieces of craftsmanship.

• How do you meet those challenges?

• I have my own strategic plan, which has its core components but also evolves as opportunities arise. I have done a tremendous amount of research to understand where my market groups are internationally. I look and plan exhibition opportunities, I build strong relationships with organisations I choose to work with, I always try to go beyond my client’s expectations, I keep challenging my technique. I stay true to my values.

 

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• Why Philanthropy?

• Abbey Walmsley Fine Art has been supporting philanthropy since its inception starting with Paintings In Hospitals. As my work has developed and I choose to sell my art on my own terms, it gives me the opportunity to support philanthropy further. I feel my work can provide opportunities not just to the buying and viewing public, but to those who benefit from the support of effective giving. I am particularly indebted to organisations that support the subject matter for my artwork.

• Are you promoting philanthropy during your exhibition?

• Yes, the exhibition is due to be used as a platform to combine art advisory with philanthropy using my business network. Many of my clients use a dedicated philanthropy advisory resource or are actively seeking ways to donate to organisations that are of personal importance to them or that give donors the greatest satisfaction on their investment, through their deployment of effective programs. The exhibition is set to show how clients can combine their art collecting desires with their philanthropic ambition.



• Why did you choose to work with Panthera?

• Panthera and I share very similar values. Panthera really ensures that the money that is raised goes into its conservation projects. Panthera’s projects are developed and implemented using a wide-range of strategies. The projects are designed and run as optimally as possible with a view for future growth and expansion of both the organisations efforts and scientific research capabilities. Panthera has combined a richly experienced, professional and highly passionate team of individuals that are setting new standards in the conservation of big cats. It is organisations like Panthera who are ensuring the big cat subjects portrayed in my art are protected using sustainable methods.

• What is the most important quality you look for when considering supporting a particular philanthropic organisation?

• When either my clients or myself consider utilising an artwork to help support philanthropy, the most important quality we look for is securing the most effective return on investment. This means we look at organisations that keep their overheads to a minimum and maximise the level of donor funds going into their projects. Their projects have to be well planned, effective and sustainable. This means we are assured that the donated funds are working as effectively as possible.

• Do the organisations supported have to relate to the subject matter of the artwork?

• No not necessarily. The organisations I support normally do have a linking component for example, Jaguars with Panthera and Barbary Lions with the John Aspinall Foundation. However clients choose to support a wide range of organisations – seeing the opportunity to use the acquisition of an artwork to enhance their art collections and complement their philanthropic giving strategy.

 

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• What is ‘Dynamic Realism’ and what sets it apart from standard ‘Realism’?

• Dynamic realist artworks display the following key attributes: accuracy, colour, light / tone, psychology, movement / time perspective and a three dimensional painting technique. Dynamic realism sets itself apart from standard realism because it goes beyond what has been accomplished before. It combines realism and illusionism with a three dimensional painting technique to portray subjects in dynamic compositions, bringing moments in time ‘alive’ for the viewer.

• How is your artwork different from other realist artists?

• It is the depth of paint I use that is a fundamental difference. Most ‘realist’ artists use thin paint to create their illusions. The other difference is in the illusions I try to pull off; I try particularly difficult things, often in combination. For example; motion through water, or flight in relation to another subject.



• What new subject matter is on the horizon in 2010?

• In February I will embark on a trip to Jordan to work with the Jordan Living History Association to help me produce works depicting Roman chariot racing. I will also be working with the Royal Institute of Arabian Horsemanship to assist me in the production of dramatic works depicting traditional Arabian Cavalry and the art of Furusiyya. I will be hoping to work with Arabian Oryx and Houbara Bustard’s with The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, as well as taking in local Bedouin sports.

• Where are you trying to get to with your dynamic realist technique?

• Ultimately I would like to produce large-scale dramatic works, depicting life size scenes. Regarding the development of the technique I use… I do not really know where it will take me as I try and continue to improve, so far the journey continues to be rewarding and surprising.

• What are the key motivating factors behind a great piece of dynamic realism?

• The key motivating factors behind the best pieces of dynamic realism would be a challenging and intense movement caused by an interaction between two or more living parts in an environment with interesting light that promotes the depth of perspective.



 

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• How would you sum up your offering to your clients?

• I provide clients with the opportunity to have a bespoke piece of museum quality art created in line with their personal vision. The art can be created to complement their art collecting and philanthropic ambitions. When clients buy from Abbey Walmsley Fine Art they are assured that the piece has been meticulously crafted. When commissioning they get to see the development of their creative project as it evolves. I also offer clients a tailored framing service should they require it.



• Why should clients come directly to the artist rather than through a gallery?

• They are many benefits for clients to work directly with the artist rather than buying through a gallery, particularly when it comes to realist work. First, is the issue of price, when you are buying from a gallery the artist maybe getting a raw deal and the gallery may retain the majority of the price of the work of art. Secondly, artists who deal with major galleries are rarely motivated to perform at their highest standard, particularly if their work is riding the wave of a ‘fad’ and is selling well. This leads to them being under pressure to produce consistently and quickly, which is detrimental to efforts they put in. Ironic really, as the faster the works are in demand from the gallery the less motivated the creator, less competent the artworks, the higher the price the gallery demands from the clients. Another issue many of my clients have experienced is communication, being in contact with the artist directly, ensures the client’s requests are met, there is less opportunity for miscommunication and a surprise end product.

• How does direct client involvement effect the quality of the finished artwork?

• When a client commissions a work they are directly involved in the creative process, from the initial consultations about their vision to the artwork in development. The client’s involvement motivates the artist to ‘work’ for them. I am always challenging myself to deliver works that surpass my client’s expectations. It is very valuable and rewarding to continually experience positive reactions when clients receive works directly from me.



• What benefits do clients receive when working directly with the artist?

• When commissioning, clients have a greater degree of control on what they are going to receive, because the process is a shared, collaborative experience. They are also assured that the price they are paying for the artwork is not inflated by sales ‘spin’ but related directly the quality of the craftsmanship. Clients are also reassured that the artist is getting a fair price.

 

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